Radioactive container



22, 1957 D. MCHARDY FERGUSON 2,810,839

RADIOACTIVE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 29, 1956 INVENTOR. 004/440 m fiseeus' wMLM "f" container.

nite tat-es RADIOACTIVE CONTAINER Donald McHardy Ferguson, Marblehead,Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Air Force Application August 29, 1956, Serial No.606,935

8 Claims. (Cl. 250-106) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec.266) disposed as well as to any persons in the area. Devices have beenemployed to transport radioactive materials from one area to anotherwithout danger of radiation to anyone. However, there still exists theproblem of exposing other materials to the radioactive source Withouthazard to the area in which the materials are exposed to the radioactivesource and to the persons in the area.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a container forradioactive sources that permits a material to be exposed to aradioactive source without radioactive contamination of the area inwhich the container is located or the persons therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container forradioactive sources that may be used in an inclosed area without anycomplex safety precautions.

Other objects of this invention will be readily perceived from thefollowing description. This invention relates to a container forradioactive material comprising a housing of radiation shieldingmaterial having two cavities therein with the cavities being incommunication with each other. One of the cavities has a radioactivesource therein. Suitable means are disposed in the end of this cavity toprevent radiation from the radioactive source to the exterior of thehousing. The other cavity has a rotatable member disposed therein. Thisrotatable member has a recess that registers with the radioactive sourcefor exposure thereto without any radiation to the exterior of thehousing.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of theinvention, in which:

. -Fig. l is a top plan view ofv the container of the present invention;and i V Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a container for radioactivematerial comprising a housing 10 having a wall 11 and top 11a preferablyof stainless steel while the interior 12 of the housing 10 is filledwith lead or other suitable radiation shielding material. The thicknessof the lead depends on the intensity of radiation so that the physicaldimensions of the container 10 will be varied in accordance with themaximum intensity of radiation expected from the radioactive source tobe used with the atent The housing 10 has a cavity 14 extending from thetop 11a thereof to the interior of the housing (see Fig. 2). The housing10 has a second cavity 15 extending from the exterior of the housinginto the interior thereof at substantially right angles to the firstcavity 14. The inner the large portion of each of the bayonet slots 19and then turning the holder 16 slightly, the enlarged head of the pin 18fits within the smaller portion of the bayonet slot 19 to lock theholder 16 to the housing 10.

A plug 21, which is formed of a radiation shielding material such aslead, is disposed within the upper portion of the first cavity in theinterior of, the holder 16, which is annular in cross section. The plug21 is supported within the holder 16 by a flange 22. Thus, from Fig. 2,it will be observed that the plug 21 prevents any radiation from theradioactive source 17 to the exterior of the housing 10 through thefirst cavity 14. r

The housing 10 .has a base 23 preferably of stainless steel from which ashaft 24 extends upwardly on an axis parallel to the axis of the firstcavity 14. A cylindrical member 25 such as a tray is mounted on theshaft 24 for rotation thereabout. The tray 25 has its walls 26 formedpreferably of stainless steel while the interior 27 thereof is filledwith a radiation shielding material, preferably lead. The tray 25 has arecess 28 in one portion of the periphery thereof wherebyrotation of themember 25 about the axis of the shaft 24 moves the recess 28 intoalignment with the first cavity 14. When the recess 28 is in alignmentwith the first cavity 14, it will be readily observed that any object inthe recess 28 is exposed to the radioactive source 17 since the cavities14 and 15 are in communication with each other. However, the structureof the remainder of the member 25 being of a radiation shieldingmaterial Within the interior 27 thereof prevents radiation through thesecond cavity 15 to the exterior of the housing 10. It will be notedfrom Fig. 2 that the top wall of the second cavity 15 has a portion 29that serves as an abutment for the lowermost portion of the holder 16 toinsure that the radioactive source 17 is sufficiently above the dividingline between the tray 25 and the top wall of the second cavity 15 tocause the radiation to have to follow a zigzag path and thereby preventradiation from the interior of the housing 10.

A bearing 30 between the shaft 24 andthe lower surface of the member 25accommodates the thrust loading produced by the weight of the tray 25.An upper bearing 31 between the shaft 24 and the tray 25 reducesfriction of the shaft 24 due to the eccentric loading of the rotatablemember 25 that is produced by theobjects disposed within the recess 28.A semicircular member 32 is secured to the housing 10 to serve as aguardagainst physical damage to the rotating tray 25. This guard member32, which is preferably stainless steel, also is an added protectionagainst radiation. A plurality of members 33 (three shown in Fig. 1) aresecured to the exterior wall of the housing 10 to provide a means fortransporting the container, which is very heavy because of the mass 'oflead embodied within the interior of the housing 10.

the tray from a position in which the recess 28 is outside of thehousing 10 to a position in which the recess 28 is disposed in alignmentwith the first cavity 14. When the recess 28 is outside of the housing10, the object or objects to be exposed to the radioactive source 17 areplaced within the recess; the tray'25 is then rotated by the handle 35to the position in which the recess 28 is in alignment with the firstcavity 14. The handle 35 is located on the tray 25 so that the handleabuts against the Wall of the housing when the recess 28 is in alignmentwith the first cavity 14 (see Fig. 1). As previously explained, theradiation shielding material of the plug 21 prevents any radiationthrough the first cavity 14 to the exterior of the housing 10 while theradiation shielding material of the rotating tray or member 25 preventsany radiation through the second cavity 15 to the exterior of thehousing 10. The interior 12 of the housing It), as previously explained,is formed of radiation shielding material so thatno radiation occursfrom the radioactive source 17 through the housing 10.

An advantage of this invention is that various materials may be exposedto a radioactive source without any hazard to the operator of thecontainer in which the radioactive source is disposed.

For purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of theinvention has been shown and described according to the best presentunderstanding thereof. However, it will be apparent that changes andmodifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereofmay be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A container for radioactive material including a housing of radiationshielding material, said housing having two cavities in communicationwith each other, a radioactive source disposed in one of the cavities,means composed of radiation shielding material disposed in said onecavity to prevent radiation from said radioactive source to the exteriorof said housing, and a rotatable member disposed in the other of thecavities, said rotatable member having a recess therein, the recess ofthe rotatable member registering with the radioactive source in said onecavity for exposure thereto.

2. A container for radioactive material including a housing of radiationshielding material, said housing having two cavities in communicationwith each other substantially at right angles, a radioactive sourcedisposed in one of the cavities, means composed of radiation shieldingmaterial disposed in said one cavity to prevent radiation from saidradioactive source to the exterior of said housing, and a rotatablemember disposed in the other of the cavities, said rotatable memberhaving a recess therein, the recess of the rotatable member registeringwith the radioactive source in said one cavity for exposure thereto.

3. A container for radioactive material comprising a housing ofradiation shielding material, said housing having a first cavity and asecond cavity therein, the inner ends of said first and second cavitiescommunicating, a radioactive source disposed within the first cavity,radiation shielding means preventing radiation through the first cavityto the exterior of the housing, and a member of radiation shieldingmaterial including a recess therein disposed in the second cavity, saidmember being rotatable whereby an object disposed in the recess isexposed to the radioactive source without any radiation through thesecond cavity to the exterior of the housing.

4. A container for radioactive material comprising a housing ofradiation shielding material, said housing havmember being rotatablewhereby an object disposed in the recess is exposed to the radioactivesource without any radiation through the second cavity to the exteriorof the housing.

5. A container for radioactive material comprising a housing ofradiation shielding material, said housing having a first cavity and asecond cavity therein, the inner ends of said first and second cavitiescommunicating, a radioactive source disposed within the first cavity,radiation shielding means preventing radiation through the first cavityto the exterior of the housing, a shaft extending transverse to thesecond cavity, and a member of radiation shielding material mounted onsaid shaft for rotation thereon, said member having a recess thereinmovable from a position outside of said housing to a position in whichan object in the recess is exposed to the radioactive source Without anyradiation through the second cavity to the exterior of the housing.

6. A container for radioactive material comprising a housing ofradiation shielding material, said housing having a first cavity and asecond cavity therein, the inner ends of said first and second, cavitiescommunicating, a radioactive source disposed within the first cavity,radiation' shielding means preventing radiation through the first cavityto the exterior of the housing, a shaft extending transverse to thesecond cavity, a member of radiation shielding material mounted on saidshaft for rotation thereon, said member having a recess therein movablefrom a position outside of said housing to a position in which an objectin the recess is exposed to the radioactive source without any radiationthrough the second cavity to the exterior of the housing, and a guardmember surrounding the periphery of the member mounted on the shaft toprotect the member mounted on the shaft and aid in preventing radiation.

7. A container for radioactive material comprising a housing ofradiation shielding material, said housing having a first cavityextending from the exterior thereof to the interior of the housing, saidhousing having a second cavity extending from the exterior thereof tothe interior of the housing, the interior ends of the first and secondcavities being in communication with each other, a holder having aradioactive source therein being disposed in the first cavity, a plug ofradiation shielding material disposed within the holder to preventradiation from the radioactive source to the exterior of the housingthrough the first cavity, and a member of radiation shielding materialrotatably mounted in the second cavity, said member having a recesstherein movable into the portion of the second cavity in communicationwith the first cavity whereby an object in the recess is exposed to theradioactive source without any radiation to the exterior of the housingthrough the second cavity.

8. A container for radioactive material comprising a housing ofradiation shielding material, said housing having a first cavityextending from the exterior thereof to the interior of the housing, saidhousing having a second cavity extending from the exterior thereof tothe interior of the housing at substantially right angles to the firstcavity, the interior ends of the first and second cavities being incommunication with each other, a holder having a radioactive sourcetherein being disposed in the first cavity, a plug of radiationshielding material disposed within the holder to prevent radiation fromthe radioactive source to the exterior of the housing through the firstcavity, and a member of radiation shielding material rotatably mountedin the second cavity, said member having a recess therein movable intothe portion of the second cavity in communication with the first cavitywhereby an I object in the recess is exposed to the radioactive sourcewithout any radiation to the exterior of the housing through the secondcavity.

No references cited.

